The "End of Year" list for 2015

Here we are again.  Another year come and gone.  Another list to compile of stuff I did, stuff I mock when I look back (the list of things I want to do), and the general feeling of the year as it was.

Let me just say: What a bloody crazy year it was!  I wasn't expecting most of the stuff that happened this year.  It's been wild, to say the least

After losing my job in January, the months off in between were lovely.  But stressful at times.  I had a blast hanging out with Valerie during that time.  Being "mom-extraordinaire" was a lot of fun work.  

Then, while at the beach in June, I got the phone call I had been hoping for during those past few months.  The phone call that I was being offered the job I hoped for.  So, I started June 29th, and it's been wonderful working with such a great group of people!

That being said, I read next to nothing this year.  I've read all of 2 books.  One of which was a dime-novel with the spine less than a centimeter!  So, I've been pretty bad when it comes to my reading.  But, in my defense, the second half of the year was just as crazy as the first - if not more.


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First, let's mention the Low-lights of the year (because I want to end on a positive note):

• My uncle died in April
• Lost my job in January
• Marriage dissolved in August
• Daughter is having a rough time of life right now.

Highlights this year (my positives):

• Got to hang out with Valerie in Carpool for the last half of 8th grade
• Found a new, better job in June while I happened to be at the beach with family.
• Saw Ingrid Michaelson live in June
• Later that month, I went to Rocky Horror's Live show
• I know exactly who I can - and who I can't - count on when the going gets tough.
• Got to see the Biltmore Estate for the first time in September.  It was beautiful and extraordinary and everything they say it is.
• At the end of this month, I'm hoping to see the new Star Wars

What is your favorite room in your house?

When I was growing up, one of my favorite things to do was to sit down with house plan books and to look at different layouts.  I would imagine what each room would look like, and how it would be decorated.  Which would be my favorite place to spend time?  What would the lot look like?  Where in the world would it be, and how would that impact the landscaping?  What color schemes and decor would be featured in each house?

As with my nature, every house I looked at on paper had a different feel to it - and none of them was favored more than the other (as you know, I don't make up my mind easily).  I loved the houses for different reasons.  Even if they were on paper and in my mind.

I often wonder how many of those houses actually ever got built by anyone.  And if they didn't, how the architect may have felt about that particular snub to their work.  But, in my mind, those houses lived.  They were built, if not in reality, then in my conscious.

And  I just got sidetracked because over at
http://design-milk.com/favorite-tv-home-apartment-floor-plans/
 they have ALL my favorite character's layouts.
Even Golden Girls and Will and Grace!

I never had an affinity for one room over another until I became a teenager.  That's when my bedroom became my sanctuary.  Everything I ever wanted lived in that room.  My water bed, my cat, my favorite videos, my books.  Everything I wanted to keep close to me.  It was all there.

Now that I am older, you would think that my favorite room would have changed to the kitchen or living room, since I have a house of my own.  But, instead, I find myself still captivated by my bedroom.  My pillows.  My blankets (especially the heated one in the winter).  My retreat.

The revelation surprises me, because I find that I haven't changed all that much.  But then also doesn't surprise me, because I am a creature who loves warmth, comfort, familiarity, safety and surety.  And those things can only be found in my dreams.

What is your favorite room in your house?  Did it change if you moved?  Have you lived in one place your whole life?